My Sword
by mysticladyrachel
Summary: Sequel to MY ROCK; Toph has to choose between being disowned or losing the man she loves. Will Sokka overcome the loss of his arm and wield a sword again, and why has Ty Lee captured Toph's mother? What is she planning? TOKKA. M for adult themes.
1. Prodigal Daughter

**A lot of people requested a sequel to "My Rock", so I'm gonna give it a try. For anyone who didn't read the previous story, I'll give a quick recap:**

_The war didn't end with the defeat of Firelord Ozai. After his death, Azula ceased control of the firenation, and it was under her command that Sokka and Toph were captured and detained. They escaped, but Toph nearly drown. Sokka and Aang later go undercover as guards in Azula's palace in an attempt to free the captive Zuko and Iroh as well as kill the maniacal Azula. Toph and Katara arrive just in time for the final battle, and they stand with Aang in a face off with the Firelord while Sokka lies seemingly lifeless on the floor. Sokka comes back from the brink of death and kills Azula, but loses his hand in the process. As Katara and Toph pull him from the rubble, Sokka asks Toph to marry him, and she accepts. The story draws to a close right after Aang and Katara's wedding in which Sokka attempts to teach Toph to swim._

**So that's where we left off. I hope everything lines up correctly, but if you see anything in this story that doesn't line up with what happened in "My Rock," please let me know. **

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She had been through so much in her short life. She had commanded a squadron of earth benders against the fire nation army at the Battle of Black Sun. She'd stood with Katara, Zuko and Sokka holding back the enemy while the Avatar faced and defeated Firelord Ozai. She had looked on while the man she loved lay weeping over Suki's mangled corpse and had helped him bring her body back into the light for the last time. She had been imprisoned by Azula's troops only to escape, and she had been present when her beloved had come back from the brink of death and run the bitch through with his sword... the last sword he'd ever hold. Toph was no stranger to fear.

"I don't know if I can do this, Katara!" she shouted at her friend.

"I don't see why facing your parents is more terrifying than all the other things you've faced," replied Katara stiffly, her hands on her hips.

Toph sighed heavily, "Because this isn't something I can bend my way out of, and I can't impress my parents by telling them about my adventures. They'll just be mortified and try to lock me in my room."

"Well don't tell them. This visit isn't about that anyway. We're just getting their permission for you to marry Sokka," said the tall woman with a smile, "I still can't get over that," she said wistfully.

"Yeah, but will my parents be so thrilled? The first time I've seen them since I ran away, and I'm just gonna tell them I'm engaged to one of the people that kidnapped me?"

"You weren't kidnapped," said Katara calmly.

"My parents think I was, and when they see Sokka..."

"Sokka is a good match for you!" screeched Katara angrily, "He's the leader of the Southern Water tribe and a hero of war..."

"You don't know my father! He's not gonna see that. He's gonna see that he's the one armed leader of a tribe that is on the brink of ruin!" shrieked Toph in return, tears flowing from her sightless eyes.

"We are not on the brink of ruin," replied Katara coolly, pinning a red dragon-orchid in Toph's hair, "Since we took hold of the world's fish industry, the Southern tribe has become quite wealthy... and we're the only source of the black pearls that have become so popular in Omashu."

Toph sighed and nodded, "Maybe I'm being paranoid."

"I think that's obvious," said Katara with a laugh, "Besides, you'll have quite a bit of support."

This was true enough. The Avatar, his wife (who was also the Water Tribe's ambassador to the Earth king) and the Firelord would all be at the party where Sokka would ask for her hand. Would her parents really be able to turn him down under such pressure?

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"Absolutely not!" shouted Toph's father, a look of absolute horror on his face, "I won't allow it."

"Sir, I promise you that she'll be very well taken care of..." Sokka pleaded.

"Taken care of? TAKEN CARE OF! You were one of the ones that stole her from us in the first place. How dare you steal my poor daughter, drag her all over the world, take her into battle, and when by some miracle she comes home alive, you have the audacity to ask me to give her to you in marriage!"

All eyes were on them. Of all Lords and dignitaries seated around the long tables, not a single one was eating, though many a mouth was wide open in shock. Even King Bumi, who had come at Aang's request, sat with mouth agape. Toph and Zuko were the only ones that didn't seemed shocked. The latter was looking very bored and the former was muttering darkly about how her fiance hadn't actually ASKED his permssion.

"She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She's a hero in her own right," seethed Sokka, his arm shifting back as though gripping his sword, despite the fact that it had been severed half way down his forearm months ago.

"She's blind and frail and she's still only a child!" shouted Lord Bei Fong.

"At eighteen years old?" asked Zuko from where he sat a few chairs down. He was slumped against the table fiddling with what remained of his food, looking for all the world like he was fighting sleep.

Lord Bei Fong looked ruffled, but snapped back, "Still, she cannot simply marry whomever she chooses. She is a well born Earth Kingdom lady. She..."

"Is blind and no one other than Sokka would want me, Father. Besides, he's the Chief of the Southern Water tribe! You can't possibly hope for a better match," said Toph, pushing back her chair and rising to her feet.

The angry man didn't answer. Instead he pushed his chair back and tried to walk out of the dining hall, grabbing his daughter by the arm and dragging her along with him.

Toph, however, wasn't going to let it end that way. She planted her feet firmly, twisting her feet so that the stone of the floor molded itself in a thick sheath half-way up her calf, "Let me go, daddy!"

"Toph, you will hold your tongue and you will come with me!" he shouted, tugging angrily at her arm.

"NO!" she screamed, all her anger and defiance compressed into the single word as it reverberated throughout the palace dining hall.

Lord Bei Fong took a step backward, shock evident on his face. It was not as if his daughter had never defied him before, but in all her life, only once before had his illusion that she was weak and frail been so shaken as it was at that moment. He didn't like the feeling.

"I will not leave. I will not be silent, and I will not let you leave until you agree to let me marry Sokka!" she shouted, slamming her hand down hard on the table, causing huge slabs of rock to shoot up from the floor and blocked the huge arching doorways.

The man stared at her in absolute shock before turning to king Bumi, "Majesty, will you not stop this? They have obviously brainwashed my child... corrupted her and turned her against me! You must take action..."

"I will do no such thing. I know this girl, and I know the young man whom she plans to marry. Both are good people with minds of their own. I think it is obvious that you must either grant your blessing or lose a daughter," said the king, in that rare tone he had when he was truly serious.

Bei Fong clenched his fists and stared hard at the floor. After several moments, he surprised everyone when he nodded solumnly and shouted so that all could hear, "So... if that's the way it must be," he said turning to Toph, "You are no longer my child. I deny you," he turned and walked toward the door, "Do with her as you will," he shouted to Sokka over his shoulder.

Bumi shook his head solemnly, making a motion with his hand that cleared the doorway and let the man pass. Toph merely stood in shock.

"I don't think that's what you meant, was it Bumi?" asked Aang nervously. He had whispered it, but the hall had grown so eerily silent that all those around heard him easily.

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The night air cooled her hot skin as she sat on the edge of the fountain trailing her fingers in the cool water. It was a warm night, and the roses were in full bloom all around her. She knew from the talk at the party that the full moon shone brightly tonight in a cloudless sky, and she wished she could see it. The sight of the moon always seemed to sooth the others, and she had to push down a surge of jealousy that such a comfort was not available to her. Instead, she focused on the soft sound of the falling water, soft and sweet like tiny bells.

She felt his heavy footsteps on the paved stones of the path and turned to face him, "Sokka..."

"Toph," he said gently, coming to sit beside her at the fountain. He wrapped one arm around her waist and nuzzled her hair. His breath was warm as it ruffled her short black locks. They were both silent for a long time.

"I guess we can get married now..." she said softly, a tear rolling down her face.

He sighed heavily and used his damaged arm to lightly stroke her back, "I'm sure he didn't mean it, Toph. We'll give him a few days to cool off and then we can go talk to him. Maybe if we talk to him privately, instead of putting him on the spot in front of all the world's most powerful people..."

She wanted to hope, but somehow it eluded her.

"Why does he still think of me as his poor blind daughter? Haven't I proven a thousand times over that I'm capable?" she asked, shifting so that her back was leaned against him.

"Yeah. You've proven to all the world how great you are, but he's not the world, Love. He's your father, and its hard for him to let you go. Remember how crazy I acted the week before Katara got married, and she's just my sister," said Sokka with a chuckle.

Toph smiled. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. The smile left her face just as quickly when she felt a group of soldiers coming toward them.

They came into view, having obviously run all the way there and looking very out of breath.

"Lady Toph, Lord Sokka, we have grave news..." said the lead soldier.

"What is it?" asked Sokka coolly, rising to his feet.

"Lady Bei Fong has been kidnapped."

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"We don't need your help," said Lord Bei Fong, glaring at the three of them.

"She's my mother!" shouted Toph. Sokka and Katara both placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Aang smiled kindly, "We really want to help you, Lord Bei Fong. There's no need to draw this out needlessly, and between the five of us, we'll have your wife back here with all speed," he said at his most diplomatic.

The man looked torn, glancing from Toph to Sokka and then at the gaping hole in the wall of the mansion. Finally he gave a great sigh and nodded, "Fine. For my wife, I suppose I can be civil."

'Not exactly welcoming me home with open arms, but I'll take it for now,' thought Toph with a ghost of a smile.

The four of them moved around the room, searching for clues among the ruins. The place was in shambles, the creamy white walls riddled with cracks that spread out from the large hole. Shattered vases, torn linens and splintered furniture made the room difficult to move through.

"That hole wasn't made by earth bending. It's way too sloppy. Feels like someone punched their way through with something," said Toph, running a hand along the damaged wall.

"And whoever it was, they were making a statement. I mean, if all they wanted was Toph's mom, they wouldn't have bothered to destroy the place..." said Aang, shifting a broken piece of wood with his foot.

"No blood though, so I don't think they hurt her... yet," said Katara. Toph's father flinched.

"Hey guys... come look at this?" called Sokka. He was standing in the only clear section of floor in the whole room, a piece of paper in his hand.

"What is it?" asked Katara as they all rushed to his side.

"It's a note, but I don't really understand what it means... 'You think you have me? I know your weakness.' What is that supposed to mean?" said Sokka. He flipped the note over in his hand, searching for more clues. Only when he looked up did he realize how white Aang had become.

"What's wrong, Twinkletoes? You're heartbeat is going crazy..." said Toph, reaching out to offer a steadying hand.

"That's what she said... in the royal bed chamber. Those were Azula's last words," said the young man, and he turned to cling to his wife, his body shaking all over.

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	2. Answers and Questions

"It's not Azula. We know that for a fact," said Sokka, smiling smugly. It had been a point of pride that he'd been the one to finish Azula despite being the only non-bender present.

"I guess you're right, but who else could it be? No one else was there besides us," said Katara from where she sat examining the note.

"Yeah, and it's not like Azula's last words are common knowledge. I was the only one who even realized what the note meant," muttered Aang, peering over his wife's shoulder.

The four of them all sat around the fireplace in silence. The only sound in the room were the soft footsteps of Lord Bei Fong as he paced back and forth on the other side of the large chamber. Everyone but Toph had already read over the note several times, and no one had any clue as to what it meant or who could have left it.

Toph, who had been leaning on Sokka's shoulder, suddenly got to her feet and gestured for the others to follow, "We've got company."

The others got up calmly and followed. Toph's father hesitated a moment, but decided that he didn't want to be alone after what had happened and ran quickly to catch up.

"What makes her think someone is here? No one even rang the bell," asked the nobleman gruffly, but he looked chagrined when the sound of a loud brass bell sounded up ahead.

"She can feel vibrations through the earth. It's a really useful skill... it more than makes up for her defect," spat Sokka, pinning the lord with a very dark look.

"I never called it a defect," he whispered, but he turned away, refusing to meet anyone's gaze as they made their way to the entry.

Toph, true to her nature, flung the door wide and grabbed the two visitors by the arms, all but dragging them in before slamming the door. She couldn't see the looks on their faces, but she explained, "Not safe to be outside by yourself," just the same, "We've already had one person kidnapped tonight, Sparky," she said, forcing a smile.

Zuko nodded and turned to the others, "So what happened here, and why were we summoned?" he asked, making a slight gesture to include Mae.

"Toph's mother was kidnapped, and there's reason to think the loyalists are involved," said Katara, holding the note out to Zuko. He glanced down at the page for a moment before handing it back, "What exactly does that mean?"

"They were your..." Aang started.

"Azula's last words," finished Katara. She remembered how Zuko used to hate when people referred to the old Firelord as his sister.

He snorted derisively, "Well, I'm pretty sure Azula didn't kidnap anyone."

"We know, but no one but the four of us were in the room when she said that. We're trying to figure how anyone would know what her last words were. If we figure that out, it might help us find whoever is responsible.

Mae, who had been silent until then, held out her hand and said, "Let me see it."

Katara handed her the note. Everyone looked on anxiously as she examined the paper.

After several moments, Mae looked up, a strange look on her face, "You weren't the only ones in the chamber. Ty-Lee was there too."

They all made their way back into the large entertaining room, and Mae quickly explained her theory.

"So you're saying that Ty-Lee was hiding in the secret passage at the back of the bed chamber?" said Zuko loudly before muttering under his breath, "Remind me to have that thing sealed off."

Mae smiled and nodded, "Yes. I'm sure that as Azula's confidant, she would have known about it, and that's the only answer that makes any sense. Besides, this is definitely her writing."

"Why didn't she come out and fight us then?" asked Aang, "I mean, why not come to Azula's aid if she was there the whole time?"

Mae shrugged and got to her feet, "Maybe she felt like Azula had it under control. From what you've told me, it pretty much looked that way until Sokka decided to come back to life," said the young queen in her usual flat voice. Only the slight twinkle in her eye told them that she had meant it as a joke. She sighed heavily and began to rub her lower back.

"Are you tired, Mae?" asked Zuko, rising and replacing her hands with his own. He'd been so protective since she's begun to show.

"I'm fine, Dear, I just needed to stand up for a bit," she said, smiling at him, "So I think the first thing we need to do is try to figure out why she took your mother, Toph, and where she's holding her."

Suddenly, there was a loud boom, followed quickly a tremor that shook the house.

"What was that?" asked Sokka, "Earthquake?"

Toph was on her feet in an instant, "That was no earthquake. It's a machine, and its moving."

There was only the slightest pause before they all ran for the door.

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The streets were crowded with people running about in a blind panic. The blasts were becoming more and more regular, but farther and farther away. It felt like a smaller version of the drill they'd faced all those years ago, but it was moving fast. Really fast. Much faster than she'd thought possible, breaking through the earth of one level and then diving down into the next, but that wasn't their biggest concern.

Whatever it was had destabilized the level they were on, and if she didn't get there quickly, it would collapse, killing everyone above and most of the people below. She felt for the others, but it was no use. In the sea of people, all the vibrations were confused. She just ran.

She was pleased to hear the sound of someone's voice above her trying to calm the crowd. Good. Aang was coming too.

She could feel the edge coming closer, but she didn't dare stop. The earth was creaking and straining beneath her feet. She was nearly too late already. She felt the vibrations, thinking of how to catch herself before she hit the solid rock of the lower level. Nothing came to her, but by the time she realized she didn't have a plan, she was too close and going too fast to stop.

In that single terrifying moment, she saw nothing. There was no earth. There was only air, swirling angrily past her ears as she fell. Then, something grabbed hold of her tunic, slowing her decent just enough to keep the rough landing from being too painful. After she was safely on the ground, Aang swooped low over the ground and landed a few feet away, dropping his glider and running toward the shivering tunnel.

"Toph, I'll hold the rock up while you put fill in the tunnel and stabilize it!" shouted Aang, his voice already straining under the awesome weight of the upper ring.

"She pushed herself to her feet and took off at a run into the shaft. People were still running around screaming, but to her relief, other earth benders were beginning to gather and offer their aid... mostly to Aang, which suited her fine. Fusing rocks together on this scale wasn't a job for beginners or prize fighters. As she ran, the sounds of the city were drowned out by the sound of rock grinding against rock. All around her the walls were shaking and trembling. Despite Aang's best efforts, she wouldn't have long. She reached the back quickly enough and began working. Taking her stance, she let her power flow out from her and blanket the rubble. She would need to act quickly while still making sure the rocks were properly fused together.

It was trying to complete a puzzle without all the pieces. The drill had liquefied a lot of the stone, and it covered the floor in a thick, goopy mud. She placed the larger pieces back into place and pushed the goo into the cracks as a kind of mortar. Squeezing the water from the rock was the hardest part, and she wished Katara was there to help her.

"This is taking too long," muttered Toph, feeling the walls shift dangerously. She hadn't even filled in half of this tunnel, and she could only guess at the damage to the other rings.

Before she realized it, someone else was at her side, and the rocks and mud were flowing even faster into the space. Water was being leached out, and blasts of fire were baking the mud to ensure it held.

"Dammit, Twinkletoes, I thought you said you were going to hold this place up!" she shouted, but her relief colored her voice so that her tone wasn't as hard as she meant it to be.

He didn't say anything. He just kept going, and she did the same. Before long, they'd stepped backward into the night air, filling in the last of the hold and smoothing it over. Toph turned to begin filling in the next layer, only to find it had already been done.

'What?' she thought, her mind hazy with adrenaline and fear.

"Earthbenders are steady people," said Aang, answering her silent question, "Once they figured out what we were doing, they all followed suit."

Toph nodded and slumped to the ground, "They got away..." she said softly.

"Yeah, but we know which way they were headed and if this is any indication, they'll have left a trail," he said, pointing to the sealed up wall.

"They were underneath us the whole time and I didn't even know it. How could I have missed them? I should have felt them moving under the ground..." she said, wracking her brain. Aang didn't have an answer.


	3. Chasing the Machine

"Flying would be the fastest way to go," argued Aang, "Going on foot will take far too long!"

"Aang, it's just not practical. Appa can't carry that many people..." replied Katara, who was getting very tired of this argument.

"He's carried more than five people before!"

"He's carried more than five _children_. We're not children anymore, Aang, and he'd be carrying a lot more supplies this time," she responded, shoving another roll of bandages into her pack.

"But Katara..."

"SHUT UP! That _thing_ travels underground, which means we have to follow it using earthsight. That means we have to actually be able to feel the earth. We go by land. Case closed!" said Toph finally, walking from the room.

"Well, I'm still taking Appa!" shouted Aang as she left.

She walked quietly out of the house and into the airy courtyard. The cool summer breeze that had been so soothing earlier seemed cold now.

"Why couldn't I feel them?" she asked herself for the millionth time, "Why didn't I realize? They were right below us the whole time, and I didn't even know it. I... Momma, I failed you. I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Like always, she felt his approach before she heard him, "Toph?" he called.

"I'm here," she shouted back. He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked, his voice soft with worry.

"Yeah, Snoozles. I'm fine," she said softly.

"Hmph. Liar," he replied, wrapping his good arm around her waist and sitting his chin on the top of her head.

"What?" she asked, whipping her head around to look at him.

"The only times you call me that anymore are when you're feeling really goofy or really helpless... and I'm thinking that since I haven't been splatted with anything that you're not feeling goofy," he said. He'd been trying to make her feel better, but she could tell by the sadness in his voice that he knew it wouldn't work. Besides, he was worried too.

"Sokka?..."

"Yeah, Toph?" he asked before planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"There's something you need to know..."

"What is it, Love?"

"Hey, come on! It's time to go!" came Katara's voice from somewhere back near the door.

Toph sighed and pulled out of his grip, "I'll tell you later, Sokka."

"Toph..." he said, grabbing her by the arm.

She stopped, waiting for whatever he might say.

"Whatever it is, I promise I'll take care of you," he said. She threw him a small smile over her shoulder.

'He always knows what to say... even if he doesn't know what he's talking about,' she thought as she turned and walked away knowing he would follow.

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There were seven of them in all, not counting the flying bison. Of the original group, all but Toph rode on Appa. Mae had insisted on going, despite Zuko's protests, so the two of them and Toph's father rode on giant lizards, which offered a relatively smooth ride. Toph used her bending to skate on a huge ridge of earth so she could keep up and still feel the trail. They actually made surprisingly good time. By nightfall, they had come most of the way across the plains and could see the Dragon's Spine, the Earth kingdom's largest mountain range. The only downside was that despite numerous stops to rest, at the end of the day, Toph was absolutely exhausted.

They landed just before sunset and made camp under a small copse of trees. It was a warm night, but they made a fire for light and to warm up the rations they'd brought. Sokka tried once or twice to make light conversation, but failed miserably.

'I need to figure out some way to get him to myself. I have to tell him soon before he finds out on his own,' Toph thought, placing her hand on the ground and focusing on Sokka's vibrations.

"How far do you think they went?" asked Lord Bei Fong. The longer they traveled, the more anxious he got. They all knew he was just worried about his wife, but he was still wearing down everyone's nerves.

"Who knows? All I can tell is that the tunnel goes a really long way, beyond the distance at which I can feel clearly," replied Toph. The older man glared at her momentarily before turning away, refusing to speak. This had happened every time they'd stopped to rest. He would ask questions or complain for several minutes, Toph would then reply, and he'd turn away as though trying to give her the silent treatment. No one was really sure if she genuinely wanted to speak to her father or if she was doing it to shut him up. Even she didn't really know which it was, but everyone was very sure that things were far from smoothed over between the two.

'Anyway, talking to Sokka is more important right now,' she thought, trying to think up some excuse to pull him aside.

"I think its a good question though," said Sokka in an attempt to break the tension, "How far can they go? I mean, whatever it is that fuels that drill thing, they can't have that big a supply of it. From what the people in the city told us, it wasn't that big. With the people and other supplies, they probably have a pretty limited fuel supply with them."

'Great, he's gone into idea-guy mode. I'll never get him away now,' thought Toph, sighing heavily.

"Not if it was fueled by bending," said Mae flatly.

Everyone was silent.

Toph gave up her private train of though to and asked the question that everyone had been thinking, "If that were the case, it would have to be earth benders, and what earth benders could possibly benefit from helping the loyalists?"

"I don't really know, unless the old Dai Li are still out there..."

"We destroyed all of them," said Sokka hotly, leaping to his feet.

"Do you really know that for certain?" asked Mae, not understanding why Sokka was so upset.

Sokka got to his feet and walked off.

'Well, guess I won't need to come up with anything afterall...' she said to herself as she got up and followed him. She faintly heard Aang explaining to the others about the incident.

"Sokka?" she asked once they'd gotten a safe distance away from the others.

He grunted in acknowledgment.

"I know how you don't like to talk about it, but... we have to consider that maybe some of the Dai Li got away when we... retrieved Suki's..." she trailed off, suddenly sorry she'd said anything.

"Her body," he said solemnly, "You don't have to be scared to talk about it. I'm alright," he said, casting a smile at her over his shoulder, only to realize he'd forgotten yet again that she couldn't see it.

"Do you still love her?" asked Toph quietly.

He paused for a moment to gaze up at the sky, "Yeah. I still love Sukki, just like I still love Yue. Once you love someone, you never really stop," he said, holding his hand out behind him, waiting for her to take it. When she didn't take it, he leaned backward and grabbed hers, "It's like that with you too, you know. I won't ever stop."

It wasn't the answer she'd wanted, but it was honest and made her smile in spite of herself. She decided now would be as good a time as any, "Sokka, you know how I tried to tell you something back at the house?" she said, gripping his hand.

Again he grunted in acknowledgment.

Suddenly her heart was in her throat again, fluttering like a bumble-bird, "Sokka... I should have told you sooner, but I'd hoped that we'd have my father's blessing and be planning a wedding by now... and then all that with my dad happened and... well..." she said frantically.

"Toph," he said gently, "just calm down and tell me." She was really beginning to worry him. He'd only seen her babble like this once before, and at the time they'd both thought they were going to die.

"Sokka," she said, blushing and staring at your feet, "I'm..."

_"BOOM!"_ There was a huge explosion in the distance. Toph couldn't see the blaze on the horizon, but she felt the shock wave. It was a long way away, but it was a huge blast.

She turned to run back to the others, but Sokka grabbed her by the arm, "What were you gonna say, Toph?"

"We have to go! My mom..." she shouted, trying to pull out of his grip.

"Tell me and I'll let you go," he said, using every bit of his discipline to hold his frantic emotion in check.

"DAMNIT SOKKA, I'M PREGNANT! NOW LET ME GO!" she screamed, breaking free from his grasp and bolting back in the direction of the others. Sokka stood there stunned for a moment, and only the sound of the others frantically breaking camp brought him back to reality.

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**Author Rant: Is anyone other than me concerned about how this story is going? I'm really anxious about the facts that 1) there's a whole lot more drama and way less action in this story than there was in the previous one and 2) I'm having serious trouble making it flow. I think maybe the story is good, but I'm getting kinda lost in the choppy way I'm writing. It's wierd, cause I swear I don't usually write like that. Maybe I'm just nervous about making this story live up to the one before it (which I really enjoyed writing and was very pleased with.) If anyone with more experience at this has any tips, or if you find incongruities in my story, let me know. **


	4. Invisible Attackers

She couldn't wait for them. It was enough that they knew to come. They would follow. She had to get there right then!

Toph felt like her lungs were going to burst as she sped toward the source of the blast. She could feel it now, the heavy metal thing. It must have been ahead of them the whole time, keeping just beyond the edge of her sight. The wave of earth shifted beneath her feet, boiling against her calloused skin as she sped toward the horizon.

'Mother, I'm coming,' she shouted with her mind because her body needed all its air to keep moving.

"Toph!" she heard someone shout far behind her as Appa's vibrations left the ground, "Slow down, Appa can't keep up!" but she didn't listen. She had to get there. What if she was too late already?

It was mere moments before she found herself standing before the mangled and burning drill. It was lying half exposed, the hatch flung wide. She felt no bodies inside.

"Where are they?" she thought, walking around the thing to the other side.

She stilled herself and felt, willing herself to sense something.

'What am I waiting for? They've obviously gotten away again... wait!... there...'

She took off running toward the slight vibration, drill forgotten. She followed the slight vibration into a shallow canyon, and suddenly the vibrations stopped. Not just the one she'd been following. The world had gone suddenly sluggish and motionless.

She shifted her feet and gasped.

'Sand? So that's how they're hiding. Sand hides vibrations...'

There was a slight prick on her shoulder and she whirled to face her attacker.

"Who's there?" she yelled, reaching up to her shoulder and pulling a small dart from her skin. Her skin burned a little where it had pricked her, and a feeling of stiffness began to spread out from her arm to the rest of her body. She reached her power down into the sand, getting ready to attack.

She was truly blind, the sand under her feet masking any vibrations. She heard footsteps in the sand all around her, and she felt a thrill of panic in her chest, "Sokka! Aang! Katara!" she shouted, though she hadn't heard them land.

She felt like an animal caught in a very well laid trap. She listened hard, waiting for the sound of footsteps shifting in the sand, lashing out at every sound. There were four that she could hear, two in back the way she'd come and two on the other side.

She pulled two huge trunks of sand up around her hands, treating the sand like she'd seen Katara use water. Lashing blindly with her sand whips, she was rewarded with the sound of people screaming as she struck them down, but the more she fought, the stiffer her limbs became.

Her movements were become stiffer and less controlled as her body refused to respond to her commands. Even her bending was becoming erratic. She was not at all comforted by the fact that the people weren't trying to come near her.

'They're waiting,' she thought, as she lost control of her legs and fell to the sand, 'They're waiting for me to stop fighting.'

Her chest felt heavy, and she was having trouble breathing now. It was becoming too hard to move, too hard to fight. She didn't even hear the person approaching, and then she was struck hard on the back of the head. There was only a moment of pain before she fell into oblivion.

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Sokka had barely made it back to the campsite before he was flung on Appa's back. Much of the supplies had been left so that everyone could ride without being too heavy for Appa.

"Yip-yip!" shouted Aang, lightly snapping the reins.

"Where's Toph?" Sokka asked, searching the faces for his love. His sister pointed to the swell of earth that was disappearing into the darkness. She was moving fast, too fast for them to catch up, like the incoming tide rushing to shore.

"Toph! Slow down, Appa can't keep up," he shouted, but she didn't listen. He soon lost sight of her. It made him nervous, especially after what she'd just told him.

Lord Bei Fong was clutching the edge of the saddle, gibbering in a high pitched tone. Everyone pretty much ignored him.

"She can take care of herself," said Aang. His confidence seemed to calm the frantic man enough to allow him to breathe.

Appa realized it was coming just in time to dodge, diving hard to the right. Everyone clung to whatever they could grab as the Bison dodged flying boulders.

"YIP-YIP" yelled Aang, trying to pull Appa higher, out of the range of whatever was shooting at them.

"What's going on?" yelled Zuko, clutching the side of the saddle as they leaned hard to the left. Mae clung to him, visibly fighting the urge to vomit.

"Some earthbenders are playing dodge-rock with us!" shouted Katara, and Sokka had to marvel at the fact that she could manage sarcasm in such a situation.

When Appa reached a certain height, Aang grabbed his glider and flew off into the darkness. Sokka scrambled forward to take the reins, guiding Appa in a slight upward spiral, waiting for the Avatar to return. Zuko offered to shoot a lightning bolt to provide some light, but they were afraid it would frighten Appa or accidentally hit Aang. No more attacks came, and eventually Aang reappeared, yelling for them to land. Whoever their attackers had been, they'd disappeared.

"Why would they just attack us and then leave? It doesn't make any sense," said Aang, holding a small flame in his palm and peering around in the darkness.

"Maybe they were trying to scare us," offered Katara.

"Or they were warning us," said Aang.

"Might have been a threat..." muttered Mae.

"Or a distraction," finished Zuko. Like the others, he had only meant it as a casual suggestion, but his words struck Sokka to his core.

"We have to find Toph!" he shouted, running back and leaping onto Appa's back, "NOW!"

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When Toph awoke, it was to a feeling of numbness.

She was lying in sand, her hands were tied, and her body wouldn't move.

'What the hell?' she thought. Her mind was racing, and her heart beat frantically in her chest. Not only could she not see, but she couldn't even move! Her lungs felt heavy, as if they were struggling just to draw breath. The only movement she could manage was to partially open her eyes, though really that didn't make any difference other than to let her captors know she was awake. She laid awkwardly on her side in the sand, one arm twisted painfully underneath her and tied behind her back.

"Hello, dear," said a sweet female voice.

Upon hearing her voice, Toph's fear turned to boiling rage, 'Ty-Lee! Whatever you've done to me, undo it so I can kick your butt!' Toph screamed in her mind, but a grunt was all that she could actually manage. She listened to the woman's light footsteps as she moved to stand next to her, bending down so that Toph could feel the tip of her long hair brush her shoulder.

"There's not reason to try to respond. The spider-snake venom we gave you causes total paralysis. We really can't take any risks at this point," said the voice with a giggle.

Toph wanted more than anything to grab that braid and use it to sling the woman across the room. Perhaps her thoughts showed in her eyes because for seemingly no reason, Ty Lee stood and kicked Toph hard in the stomach.

"Leave her alone!" shouted a familiar voice.

'Momma!' thought Toph, orienting on the sound.

"Shut up woman. You were only bait for her. I'm only keeping you alive because you're so well behaved. You'll keep it that way if you're smart," shouted the woman, her sweet tone turning harsh and angry, then shifting back in an instant, "Besides, you've no reason to worry. It's not time to use her yet," she said, sounding bored.

Toph listened to her shifting footsteps in the sand as she left them. When she was gone, she turned her concentration inward. Since she'd realized she was pregnant, she'd been listening for her child's heartbeat. It had only been about a week before that she'd actually noticed the tiny sound deep inside her body. She listened to the excited beat of her own heart first, then tuned it out, listening for the tiny flutter in her abdomen. It was still there. She thought the tiny heartbeat sounded more sluggish than the last time she'd checked, but she pushed the thought away.

'I'm just imagining it because I'm freaked out right now," she thought, though she couldn't push the feeling of fear from her heart.

Toph heard her mother struggling her way across the sand. She was obviously tied as well, because she it took a long time to cross the small distance.

"Toph, my baby, are you alright?" she asked, caressing Toph's cheek with the back of her hand, "I've been so worried. The way that woman talked, I thought she was going to kill you."

The young earthbender wanted so badly to talk to her mother. There was so much she needed to know, but she could barely open her eyes, much less speak. All she could do was lie there, listen, and wait for the venom to wear off.

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They searched most of the night, but they couldn't find anything in the dark. Sokka was reminded again of how useless he was and how much the group relied on the young earthbender.

"Sokka, just rest. We'll be able to see better in the morning. We can look for her then," said Katara, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said, following her back to the still smoking pile of metal. When they entered the light of the new fire, he saw Zuko trying to instruct Lord Bei Fong in the use of a short sword, with poor results.

"I'm not a swordsman," said the man in a cold voice.

"You'll need to know how to defend yourself when we find whoever took your wife. If you aren't willing to at least learn the basics, you shouldn't have come," said the Firelord, his old gruffness coming out in his frustration. They'd been at this for a while.

"Here, just try to block me. If you can block a blow, maybe you can hold someone off long enough for one of us to help," said Zuko, dropping into his fighting stance.

He waited only a moment before striking. He moved fast, striking over and over in a rapid rhythm of steel on steel. The older man actually managed to block the first several attacks fairly well, but then Zuko began striking harder and harder, prodding for holes in his defense. After several moments, the man floundered, and his sword was knocked from his hand.

"That was good, but remember, your sword is not just something you hold in your hand. Its an extension of your arm," said Zuko, lunging forward in demonstration, "Lets try again."

Sokka had been nearly asleep against a tree, but at those words, his eyes shot wide open.

"An extension of your arm," he muttered, and got quickly to his feet, "AANG!"


	5. Memories and Dreams

_"Ty Lee, I'm here," came that old familiar voice._

_"Azula?" she muttered. Her body was sore from the odd position the chains were holding her in. Her flesh was pale from being locked away for so long, long enough that she'd lost count of the months. She was naked but for the manacles on her wrists and ankles. _

_"Shhh... I'm here," the woman replied, stroking the girl's dirty face. There was tenderness in her voice that didn't quite match the hungry look in her eye. _

_"Please Azula. You're his daughter. He'll listen to you. Ask him to set him free. I promise it won't happen again. I'll be perfectly loyal. I swear!" she sobbed, leaning on the princess's shirt despite the pain the position caused in her shoulder. _

_"Oh Ty, I've tried. He says you're too much of a risk. It was all I could do to convince him to let me keep you here instead of killing you," she said, settling near Ty's emaciated form and wrapping her arms around her naked body, "At least I got you out of that place didn't I? I had the stone masons build this room special for you, so you could be here... with me."_

_Ty Lee nodded weakly. She didn't even flinch when Azula's lips came down on hers and a soft but strong hand began exploring her flesh. Part of her screamed inside that this was wrong, but another part was beginning to enjoy it, beginning to need it. Still, she couldn't stop the tiny tear that leaked from her eye. _

_She closed her eyes and waited for her keeper to finish. _

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"_Azula please! Make it stop!" she cried, and received a sharp slap to her face._

_"Do it!" the angry voice came again. Ty looked up at the princess, her eyes filled with lust that made Ty tremble in fear. Between them stood a man, Azula's latest lover._

_"Yeah, do it," he said, grabbing her hair and pulling her face to his manhood._

_She closed her eyes and retreated into the darkness of her mind._

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_She awoke to the sound of a key being shoved into the locks of her manacles. _

_"There's going to be a battle, Ty," said her friend, lover and savior, "I need you to do something for me," said Azula in a stony voice. _

_"I will fight at your side. I will defend you to the end," she said vehemently, despite the fact that she could barely stand._

_Azula shook her head, "Hide. The avatar is coming tonight. My father is dead, and now he's coming for me. I want you to hide in the entry, and if he defeats me, you're to kill him," she said, shoving a crossbow into Ty's shaky hands. _

_She had watched the battle in awe. There was so much power. Not just the Avatar and Azula, but the water tribe witch and the blind earth bender as well. When had they become so powerful? When the water tribe girl flooded the chamber, Ty was pushed back into her little hidey-hole, and did her best to hold her breath. Her already weak body was no match for the force of the current. She didn't even notice when her crossbow washed away in the current._

_She lost consciousness, but somehow had managed to stay hidden. Debris was blocking the opening of her hiding place, leaving only just enough room to see out of. It seemed like Azula had them beat. She had them backed into a corner. The body of the swordsman lay beneath her feet, and the others were doing their best just to dodge her lightning bolts. Then, it happened. _

_The little bastard moved. It was a tiny movement, and even Azula didn't see it. Then with a speed and strength he shouldn't have had, he plunged his sword through her beloved's body. Ty tried to cry out, but her voice wouldn't work. She wanted to run to her, but her legs didn't work. Finally, after they had all left, she dug her way out and crawled to Azula's body._

_She looked down at the dead princess. So many emotions ran through her. Fear at what would happen to her now. Anger at Azula for keeping her locked away and using her, even if her father had ordered it. Hatred for her own self and her own ungratefulness. Joy that her beloved keeper had finally freed her. Sadness that the same woman was now dead. She leaned down a pressed a soft kiss to Azula's lifeless lips before slipping out of the palace in the chaos that followed. _

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Ty Lee woke to the feeling of moisture on her face. That same dream again. Dreams made things so complicated. When she was awake, Azula was her beloved, her savior. It was so simple. When she dreamed, Azula was sometimes her dear lover, sometimes her captor, sometimes a monster that tortured and used her. She hated those dreams for distorting her beloved's memory.

She sat up and wiped the tears from her face before beginning her daily routine of stretching. It had taken months after she'd been freed to gain her old skill back, but she had done what she needed to do... for revenge.

"She loved me," Ty growled angrily as she pulled her leg to touch the back of her hair, "I know she loved me. I will avenge her. I will kill the swordsman... for Azula."

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"I don't know, Sokka," said the Aang quitely, "I can bend metal, but I have to heat it up, almost melt it to do what you're asking. Toph could do it, but..."

"Please Aang. This is really important. We're going into battle. I need to be able to use my weapon."

The avatar sighed heavily and nodded. He lay the sword on the ground in front of him and drew a deep breath. Sokka stepped back just in time to avoid getting singed as a stream of fire flowed out of his mouth.

He watched as Aang heated the handle until it glowed an eerie red, then began shaping it. He created a cup at the bottom. When he was finished, he melted down another sword and created a long half-tube with wide holes running along the edges, connecting the two pieces like a hinge. When he was finished, it looked like something old sparky-boom-man used to wear. He'd run leather straps through those later, strap his sword to what was left of his arm. It wouldn't be quite the same, but he'd have his blade back.

"Well, let me try it on!" said Sokka, reaching for it. His hand was batted away.

"You have to let it cool," said the Avatar.

"Can't you just cool it yourself, ice man?"

"I could, but then you'd stay up and try to practice with it, and you need sleep," replied the shorter man softly.

Sokka sighed and nodded.

"At least you can use your sword again now... hopefully. What gave you the idea anyway?"

"Zuko said something about how you have to think of your sword as an extension of your arm," he replied with a tired smile.

An impish grin spread across Aang's face, making him look like the same boy they'd found in the ice all those years ago, "Well, you always did take things way too literally."

Sokka laughed. It felt good. He realized he did that all to seldom lately.

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Toph lay with her head in her mother's lap. Lady Bei Fong was fast asleep, but Toph wasn't.

"Ok," she thought, "Sand is earth. It's not particularly cooperative earth, but it's earth. Earth responds to strength of will. I've got that. I can make it move," she thought to herself, "MOVE SAND!"

She wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not, but she thought she felt the sand under her palm move. It was so hard to tell in her drugged state, but she tried again.

"MOVE!"

Yes, it had moved. Now, for phase 2 of the escape plan.

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**Yeah, I left off writing this for a long time because I was moving to a different country, and then my husband had surgery, and by the time I had any more time to write, this story didn't fit with the show anymore. I know it sucks. Sorry. I wanted to show everyone that there was a reason our sweet Ty-Lee went loopy. In case it wasn't clear, the first few parts are her dreaming. Hope it wasn't too bad. **


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